State workers must get COVID vaccine by Monday to meet Gov. Inslee’s deadline

Get vaccinated against COVID-19 or get a new job: That was the order to most state workers and workers in private health care, long-term care, and other congregate settings under a vaccine mandate from Gov. Inslee, announced in August, with a deadline of Oct. 18.

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Gov. Inslee later expanded the COVID vaccine mandate to include all K-12 public school teachers and staff, and private and charter school staff statewide.

Under the mandate for state workers and school staff, workers must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. The definition of “fully vaccinated” accounts for the 14 days needed to build the requisite immune response after the second dose, meaning employees under the mandate should receive the second dose by Oct. 4.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Moderna vaccine requires that its two doses be administered 28 days apart. That would mean the first Moderna shot for employees hoping to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 should have been administered on Sept. 6, at the latest. The Pfizer vaccine requires 21 days of waiting between its doses, with Sept. 13 having been the last day for state workers to receive a first dose. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires a single shot, but availability has been scarce in recent weeks.

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King County and Seattle workers are under a similar vaccine mandate with Oct. 18 as the original deadline. However, an agreement between King County and several of its own unions regarding the vaccine mandate relaxed the previous timeline. Under that deal, county employees can avoid being fired for being out of compliance if they complete the vaccination process by Dec. 2.

Gov. Inslee clarified in late September there will be no such option for state workers.

“We are not considering extending the deadline for vaccination of state employees,” he noted. “This vaccine is readily available and people have had a chance, and still have a chance, to get it.”

Sources report to KTTH’s Jason Rantz that the state’s Department of Children, Youth, & Families on Monday sent out a letter of termination Monday to unvaccinated employees, effective Oct. 18. The department told KIRO Radio that as of Monday, 83% of its employees had verified their vaccination, and more people continue to report their status.

BREAKING: WA Dept of Children, Youth, & Families sent out a letter today to terminate unvaccinated workers. It says they will lose their jobs on October 18.

As of 9-20, the vaccination rate at @waDCYF’s main department office was only 50.21% (of 4,075). pic.twitter.com/9coY45Vsuo

— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 4, 2021

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